Montreal delays plan to extend paid parking hours, increase price downtown
Montreal officials say the plan to lengthen paid parking hours downtown will be delayed indefinitely, and should any rules change, notice will be issued in advance.
Last month, stickers were placed on parking posts in Old Montreal indicating drivers had to pay between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. during the week, extending the time they are normally charged by three hours.
On Saturdays the hours would be extended by five hours, charging drivers from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Sundays, drivers were expected to start paying at 9 a.m. rather than 1 p.m., but still only required to pay until 6 p.m.
It was later revealed that the Plante administration had included in the 2023 budget a plan to increase parking fees and extend hours. How much the increase would be was never made clear.
The new rules were in the budget, but the stickers were placed in Old Montreal sooner than intended. Machines weren't accepting payments outside of the normal hours.
Coun. Sophie Mauzerolle, the member of Montreal's executive committee responsible for urban planning, said the new parking rules were not supposed to be applied before Montreal consulted merchants' associations.
As it turned out, business owners were shocked when they saw the news. In particular, bar owners were not only concerned about customer traffic, but also how their employees would get home after work because the Metro is closed and buses are limited.
Aref Salem, leader of the opposition at city hall, said the Plante administration dropped the ball from the start.
"It's a lack of transparency, that's for sure. This should be done clearly with the mayor saying we have changes coming," said Salem.
He is calling on the city to wait at least a year before making any changes to allow time for proper debate.
On Monday, Mauzerolle issued a statement, saying the city met with business owners over the last two weeks and takes their concerns seriously.
"We will take the time necessary to continue our discussions," she said. "We will also adopt an order to this effect at the next executive committee meeting, and if there are changes we will communicate them in advance and in due form."
